The Deathlock (1915)

Dal Darous, a Westerner, adopts the baby daughter of homesteaders who have been killed by the Indians. Darous discovers the father of the child dead, his legs twisted about the trunk of a slender tree and securely knotted in the fatal "deathlock" of the Apaches. Fourteen years later finds Darous a notorious gambler, and his foster daughter, Nell, trained to act as her father's decoy. She helps him in his cheating game by standing just behind the shoulder of the victim and holding a small mirror at such an angle that the gambler is able to see reflected in it his opponent's cards. On board a steamer to the Klondike, Darous fleeces of a large sum of money Ford Worthing, a young chap on his way to the gold country. The money has been confided to Ford by his uncle, and in desperation at having betrayed his trust, Worthing attempts to blow out his brains. He is standing alone in a deserted corner of the deck, with the barrel of a gun pressed to his temple, when a window in the cabin behind him is stealthily opened, and a hand snatches the weapon away. Darous and Nell are entrapped by Jerry, a Westerner, who has constituted himself the friend and guardian of Dixie Ward, a young widow, going to claim her late husband's gold mine in Alaska. Darous also has an eye on Dixie's property. "Scotch Mac," an old pal of his, has tipped him off, and the gambler is making this expedition to the Klondike purposely to bunco the young widow out of the mine. Since cheating at cards means death, the gambler's daughter sets fire to the ship, and a hasty landing is effected some ten miles from Dawson. In the confusion and excitement, Nell and her father escape. Later, they meet Ford and Jerry at the Arctic Saloon in Dawson. A Canadian, bringing plans of the mine to Dixie, is intercepted by the gambler and robbed of his papers. Nell finds Darous on the point of going to claim the property before the widow's friends can find the place. Nell's conscience recently has been stirred by her friendship with Dixie's little girl, and by the strange new feeling she secretly entertains for Ford. She begs her father not to carry out his scheme. He offers her a choice between holding her tongue or jeopardizing the life of Worthing. She promises to be silent, and the gambler gives his oath not to shoot Ford. A few hours later, Ford discovers the absence of Darous. He guesses from Nell's silence the rest. Fearing punishment for the girl as an accomplice, he decides to stop Darous at all hazards and protect the widow's claim. Ford gives chase with the fleetest dog team in the world. Nell determines to overtake Ford, and despite her promise, to warn him. She follows on skis. Meanwhile, the gambler has discovered Ford on his tracks. Remembering his oath to Nell, he refrains from shooting the young man, but resorts to the Apache deathlock as a more terrible means of having his longed-for revenge. Ford, half insane from the cold, and from many nights of fighting off hungry wolves, is found and rescued by Nell. They realize that they love one another, and Ford learns that it was she who saved him from blowing out his brains on the steamer. Days later, the gambler is found dead of the snow-madness, and torn by his dogs whom he had abused until they turned upon their master. Ford and Nell are free to begin a new life together. Dixie and Jerry marry, and they divide the mine with Ford and his bride.